JP2001345150A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connector for reducing the number of part items and reducing the dimensions of the connector without sacrificing electric performance, latch performance or connecting force. SOLUTION: This electric connector has a conductive receptacle 50 and a conductive plug 10. The plug 10 has a peripheral surface for contacting a grounding contact 90 of the receptacle. A latch 18 is installed in the plug, and has an opposed face plate 136 locked on one wall 52 of the receptacle, and is electrically conductive, and imparts the grounding connection between the plug and the receptacle along one peripheral wall. The plug 10 is formed of upper side and lower side shells 12 and 14, and the respective shells are an integral structure. The shells 12 and 14 have electric conductivity, and demarcate a chamber for offering an EMI shielding characteristic between these shells. A PC equivalent forming base board 16 is enclosed in the upper side and lower side shells, and directly includes a shelf part 168 and a key projection 170 integrally formed on both side inside surfaces of one shell, and is maintained in fixed position and direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electrical connector used for high-speed serial data transmission, and more particularly to an electrical connector used for high-speed serial data transmission from a cable to a circuit board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electric cable assemblies have been proposed for connecting electric cables to circuit boards. Conventional cable assemblies require signal conditioning.
For this purpose, an equalizer circuit board is provided in the connector. Signal conditioning within the circuit of the connector assembly saves time for incorporating the cable assembly into the signal conditioning circuitry and saves the time required to connect electrical contacts and cable conductors to the circuitry. One example of a conventional cable assembly having an equalizer circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,027.

A conventional high-speed serial data connector (HS)
SDC) has plugs and receptacles interconnected via contact fingers. The plug receives an insulating holder for receiving the equalizer card. The equalizer card includes a signal conditioning circuit.

[0004] HSSDC connectors provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding around contact fingers that form a high-speed serial data connection between the plug and the receptacle.
A ground plane is formed between adjacent surfaces of the receptacle and plug. In a conventional HSSDC, a ground plane is maintained by placing a plurality of ground beams on the top, bottom and side walls of the receptacle and engaging the top, bottom and side walls of the plug. Conventional ground beams are J-shaped extensions that are integral with the wall and are bent forward and upward into the opening of the receptacle. J-shaped grounding beam
It is biased inward to maintain electrical connection with the plug once inserted.

[0005]

However, the J-shaped ground beam occupies the operating area inside the receptacle between the receptacle and the plug wall. The thickness of this region is substantially equal to the radius of the J-shaped part of the ground beam. As a result, the height and width of the receptacle opening are greater than the height and width of the plug by at least a length equal to the radius of curvature of the ground beam. When the grounding beams are arranged above, below, and on one side of the plug, the height and width of the receptacle are unnecessarily increased. In some applications for HSSDC connectors, there may be significant space limitations.

In addition, the distance between the ground beams must be kept smaller than a predetermined maximum distance. Otherwise, energy from the high-speed signal will be radiated from the connection between the plug and the receptacle. The spacing between the ground beams controls the frequency range over which signals flow through the connection. As the frequency of the transmitted signal increases, the maximum allowable distance between the ground beams decreases. The maximum distance is between the two furthest ground beams (eg, between the upper and lower walls, between the side walls, between the side walls and the upper wall,
Or between the side wall and the bottom wall). The connector assembly preferably operates in a frequency band having a wavelength in the range of 6 to 24 times the maximum distance between any two ground beams.

The need to cover a large portion of the perimeter with ground contacts depends on a balance between physical constraints, material cost, complexity, and other design considerations such as the force required to connect the plug and receptacle. The addition of additional grounding beams to the contacts makes insertion of the plug into the receptacle more difficult, as each contact provides a contact force to the plug that must be exceeded to bend the contact in the opening direction. A compromise is reached between cost, complexity, physical dimensions, the force required to insert the plug, and the EMI shielding properties of the connector.

[0008] Conventional HSSDC assemblies have used metal plates to construct plugs and receptacles. The metal plate is bent into a desired shape. If it is desired to add protrusions, shelves and other features to the plug, one must drill holes through the shell of the metal plate or attach separate components to the metal plate to provide the desired features. No. Also,
A separate component from the metal shell is provided for latching the plug into the receptacle. Perforating the metal shell is undesirable because the openings leak electromagnetic radiation. Conventional HSSDC connectors provide a plastic insert within a plug metal shell. This plastic insert has the desired features for holding the PC equalizer substrate.

[0009] There is a need for an improved HSSDC connection assembly that reduces the number of parts required in the construction of the connector and reduces the physical dimensions of the connector without sacrificing electrical performance, latching performance or connection strength. . The preferred embodiments of the present invention are intended to meet these needs, and other objectives that will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.

[0010]

According to at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector having a conductive receptacle assembly having a wall defining a connector opening. At least one wall has a ground contact. The electrical connector further includes a conductive plug member for connecting to the receptacle assembly through the connector opening. The plug member has a peripheral surface with which a ground contact on the wall of the receptacle assembly electrically engages. The latch assembly is attached to the plug member. The latch assembly has a spring biased facing plate that lockably engages one side wall of the receptacle when the plug is inserted into the receptacle. The latch assembly is conductive and maintains a ground connection between the plug member and the wall of the receptacle to which the latch is secured. The ground contact maintains a ground connection between the remaining wall of the receptacle and the wall of the plug member so that the latch assembly and the ground contact form a ground plane surrounding the plug.

According to one embodiment, the latch assembly has a main body extending laterally so as to be integrally formed with the side flange. The main body extends in the vertical direction and is formed integrally with the facing plate. A locking protrusion is formed on the facing plate, is positioned to align with and directly engages the hole in the receptacle assembly. The facing plate remains biased toward the receptacle assembly to maintain the latch and ground connection. The latch assembly further includes a tip having a hole and a lower lip directly engaging the knob and U-shaped recess on the front surface of the plug member, respectively. The tip of the latch is sandwiched between the front surface of the upper shell of the plug member and the transverse bar of the lower shell when the shells are joined.

In one embodiment, the latch assembly includes a T-piece in which the side flanges, facing plate and leading edge are integrally formed.
It consists of a letter-shaped body. The side flanges and the leading edge have holes for snap engagement with knobs projecting from the outside of the plug member. The holes and knobs secure the latch assembly to the plug member.

[0013] In another embodiment, the receptacle comprises:
A plurality of J-shaped ground beams are provided along at least one wall of the receptacle near the through opening for receiving the plug. The J-shaped ground beam is formed integrally with the leading edge of the wall of the receptacle and extends forward and upward into the receptacle opening to form a ground connection with the plug.

In yet another embodiment, an electrical connector has a plug assembly mated with a receptacle for transmitting high speed serial data from a serial cable. The connector has an upper shell having an upper wall, side walls, a rear end and a front surface integrally formed with each other. The lower shell is provided with a bottom wall, both side walls, a rear end and a front surface formed integrally with each other. The upper and lower shells are sealably coupled to each other along the mating edges of the side walls, the rear end, and the front surface to form an EMI shielded chamber. PC (printed circuit) equalization with signal conditioning circuit
Substrates are housed in the upper and lower shells. The PC-equivalent substrate has side edges having the same contour as the inner contour of the side wall. The PC equivalent board is in direct contact with the inner surfaces of the side walls of the upper and lower shells and is supported by the inner surfaces to maintain the PC board in the desired horizontal and vertical orientation and relationship to the plug. The mating edges on both sides, the front surface and the rear end of the lower shell have a skirt portion. The corresponding edges of the side walls, front and rear ends of the upper shell have recesses shaped to mate with the skirt of the lower shell to provide an EMI shielded connection with the lower shell.

In one embodiment of the plug, the front surface of the upper shell has pins extending forward. The front surface of the lower shell has transverse bars connecting the side walls. The pins of the upper shell are inserted under the transverse bars of the lower shell and hold the front surfaces of the upper and lower shells in fixed engagement with each other.

In another embodiment of the plug, the rear ends of the upper and lower shells have integral upper and lower tubular portions, respectively. When the upper and lower shells are joined, the upper and lower tubular portions form a circular opening that mates with each other to receive the cable. Ferrules are inserted and crimped over the upper and lower tubular sections to secure the rear ends of both shells together.

In another embodiment of the plug, the inner surface of the lower shell integrally has protrusions that define a shelf that directly supports the PC-equivalent board in the desired vertical position and orientation.
Also, the inner surface of the lower shell integrally has a projection that defines a key that is received in a recess on one side of the PC board;
Maintain the PC board in the desired horizontal position and orientation with respect to the plug.

In yet another embodiment of the plug, a notch is provided in the bottom wall of the shell, while a polarity key is provided in the receptacle. The notch and the polarity key are shaped to match each other only when the plug is properly oriented with respect to the receptacle. The plug is inserted into the receptacle only after the polarity key is aligned with the notch, thus preventing improper connection.

In one embodiment, the upper and lower shells are formed from a die cast injection molded conductive material.

[0020]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a presently preferred embodiment. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise structure shown in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a receptacle formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an insulating housing and contact fingers formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing upper and lower shells contained within a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a latch assembly attached to upper and lower shells formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a portion of a quad cable and a wire organizer received in a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a ferrule and a strain relief attached to a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a PC equivalent board formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a PC equivalent board formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a bottom wall view of a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a receptacle formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a bottom view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a receptacle formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a receptacle formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1
FIG. 8 is a front view of a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a plug assembly 10 formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The plug assembly 10 has an upper shell 12 and a lower shell 14 surrounding a PC (printed circuit) equivalent board. Also, the plug assembly 10 includes upper and lower shells 12, 1.
4 has a latch assembly 18 removably attached to it. The plug assembly 10 is fixedly attached to an end of a cable 30 capable of transmitting high-speed serial data, such as a quad cable. A strain relief 20 is secured to the rear ends of the upper and lower shells 12, 14 and protects the interconnect between the plug assembly 10 and the cable 30. The strain relief 20 has a number of cutouts 22 cut to give it flexibility. The upper and lower shells 12 and 14 are formed by die-casting a conductive material such as zinc and magnesium. Latch assembly 18
Is punched and bent from a material such as phosphor bronze or brass.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a socket or receptacle shield 50 formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Receptacle shield 50
Receives the plug 10 in a snap engagement and is secured to the plug 10 to form a mating electrical connection therebetween. The receptacle shield 50 has an upper wall 52, four side walls 54, and a bottom wall 56 forming four walls. These four walls define a front face 62 for receiving the plug 10. The rear surface 58 is the rear wall 5
Closed at 7. The receptacle shield 50 can be formed of a plate that is bent around the insulating housing 60 (see FIG. 3).

FIG. 3 shows an insulating housing 60 and a plurality of contact fingers (contacts) 64 mounted within the receptacle shield 50. Each contact finger 64
It is formed in an L shape having a horizontal leg 66 and a vertical leg 68. The horizontal leg 66 has a spoon-like contact area 70 at its outer end.
The vertical leg 68 has an elbow or L-shaped contact area 72 at its outer end. The spoon-shaped contact area 70 frictionally engages the contact pad 24 on the PC board 16. The elbow-shaped contact area 72 is provided with the receptacle shield 5
No. 0 is soldered to a surface mount contact pad on a parent board (not shown) to be mounted and fixed. Housing 60 has a plug receiving opening 74 therein for receiving the leading edge of PC board 16. Opening 74 has a plurality of projections 76 extending downwardly from its upper edge, defining a recessed slot 78 therebetween. The slot 78 is provided on the horizontal leg 66 of the contact finger 64.
Accept. Housing 60 frictionally attaches horizontal legs 66 of contact fingers 64 to slots 78 between protrusions 76 to maintain contact fingers 64 in place and orientation. The bottom wall of the housing 60 is provided with pins 80 and 8 received in the through holes of the receptacle shield 50 and the mother board.
2 The pins 80 and 82 align the housing 60 with the mother board and fix it in place. The housing 60 has an upper projection 81 and a lower projection 83 that project forward from the main body. The lower projection 83 has a groove 85 and a polarity key 84. The opposite side of the housing 60 has a recessed notch 86 for receiving the guide wing 26 of the plug 10.

The receptacle shield 50 is formed integrally with the bottom wall 56 and projects forward and upward into the front surface 62.
It has a U-shaped grounding beam 90. The grounding beam 90 is connected to the lower shell 1
4 is inwardly biased into contact with the bottom wall of the plug 4 to form a ground connection between the bottom wall of the plug 10 and the receptacle shield 50. The side walls 54 of the receptacle shield 50 have inwardly protruding contact guide wings 92 arranged near their rear ends. The contact guide wing 92 has a base stamped from the side walls 54. The outer end of the guide wing 92 is bent to form an inclined surface 94 that projects inward into the interior of the receptacle shield 50. The inclined surface 94 is provided on the guide wing 26.
Enters the notch 86 and engages with the guide wing 26 on one side of the plug 10 to form a ground connection with the guide wing. Both side walls 54 and upper wall 52 of the receptacle shield 50
And the bottom wall 56 each further have a housing ground contact 96, 98, 99 projecting outward. The housing ground contacts 96, 98, 99 form a ground connection with the metal housing of the computer (not shown). The front flanges of the side walls 54 and the upper wall 52 extend outwardly to form an introduction area for guiding the surface of the plug 10 into the receptacle.
00 and 102 respectively. The bottom wall 56 has tabs 104 projecting downward and received by and firmly soldered to the parent substrate. The rear wall 57 has a tab 106 projecting outward from one side wall. The tab 106 is folded over the side wall 54 along the side wall 54 when the wall of the receptacle is bent into a desired shape, and covers the seam formed between the rear wall 57 and the side walls. The upper wall 52 has a hole 108 (see FIG. 17) near the guide flange 102 for receiving the locking member 139 of the plug 10.

FIGS. 4 to 8 are perspective views of components for forming the plug 10 and connecting the plug 10 to the end of the cable 30. FIG. Upper and lower shells 12, 14 (see FIG. 4)
Surrounds the PC equivalent board 16 (see FIG. 8) and the wire organizer 32 (see FIG. 6). Wire organizer 32
Are upper and lower recesses 34, 35 for receiving corresponding differential pairs 36, 37 for transmitting and receiving insulated conductive wires, respectively.
Having. The wire organizer 32 includes a differential pair 36, 37
Are maintained in a desired arrangement with respect to each other, and cable 30
The cable 3 is provided in the area on the C
Minimize interference and crosstalk caused by high speed signals flowing through zeros. The upper and lower shells 12,14 have upper and lower tubular portions 38,39 which, when combined, form a tubular opening through which the cable 30 enters the plug 10. The cable shield is received on the upper and lower tubular portions 38,39. The ferrule slides over the shield and is crimped to secure the upper and lower shells 12, 14 and shield them from each other. Next, the strain relief 20 is mounted on the ferrule 40 to provide additional support for the connection point between the cable 30 and the plug 10.

The plug 10 is shown in FIGS.
This will be described in detail in connection with 2. FIG. 10 to FIG.
0 shows a plan view, a side view, and a bottom wall view, respectively. The upper shell 12 has an upper wall 120, both side walls 122, a front surface 124, and a rear wall 126 formed integrally with each other. Also, the rear wall 126 is formed integrally with the upper tubular portion 38 to form an integral upper shell 12. Both side walls 122
It has opposed knobs 128 projecting outwardly therefrom.

The latch assembly 18 (see FIG. 5) has a side flange 134, a front or facing plate 136, and a T-shaped main portion 132 integrally formed with the tip 138. Front plate 136 includes a lock member 139 extending upward. When the plug 10 is inserted into the receptacle shield 50, the guide flange 102 contacts the lock member 139 and shifts the front plate downward. Lock member 1
When the plug 10 is inserted into the receptacle shield 50, the hole 39 in the upper wall 52 of the receptacle shield 50
08 (see FIG. 13) so as to be latchable. Side flanges 134 have holes 140 that snap into knobs 128 to secure latch assembly 18 to upper shell 12. The side flange 134 also has a downwardly extending tab 142 that is received in a recess 164 in one side 160 of the lower shell 14 when the upper and lower shells 12, 14 are mated. The tip 138 has a hole 144 for receiving a knob 146 protruding from the front face 124 of the upper shell 12. The front surface 124 includes a pin 148 and a U-shaped recess 15.
It also has 0. The U-shaped recess 150 receives the lower lip 152 of the tip 138 of the latch assembly 18.

A movement restricting protrusion 130 extends upward from the upper wall 120 and is disposed below the key-shaped main portion 132 near the intersection of the T-shaped main portion 132 and the front plate 136. Protrusion 130
Is spaced below main portion 132 by a distance sufficient to allow latch assembly 18 to bend downward when plug 10 is moved into mating connection with receptacle shield 50. The protrusion 130 limits the bending of the latch assembly 18 to an allowable amount in order to prevent the connection between the front plate 136 and the main part 132 from being distorted.

The lower shell 14 includes both side walls 160 and the bottom wall 1.
61, an integral member formed by die casting and having a front surface 162 and a rear wall 163. The rear wall 163 is formed integrally with the lower tubular portion 39. Side walls 160 have slot-like recesses 164 for receiving tabs 142 on latch assembly 18 once assembled. The leading edges of the side walls 160 form the guide wings 26. The guide wings 26 are interconnected via transverse bars 166. The lower shell 14 further has a shelf 168 that is integrally formed on the inner surface of both side walls 160 and supports the PC board 16. Also, the key 170
Are formed integrally with both side walls 160 to properly orient the PC board 16 and align the PC board 16. The skirt 172 is formed along the upper edges of the side walls 160 and is received in a mating relationship with the lower edges of the side walls 122 of the upper shell 12. The skirt portion 172 includes the upper and lower shells 12,
A sealing connection is formed between the two side walls 160, 122 of the fourteen. The bottom wall 161 has a slot 174 (see FIG. 12) shaped to receive a polar key 84 (see FIG. 3) mounted on the upper wall of the lower protrusion 83 of the housing 60.

During assembly, the latch assembly 18 is
6 on the upper shell 12 by placing the 6 in the hole 144 and the lower lip 152 in the U-shaped recess 150. The side flanges 134 snap down the side walls 122 until the holes 140 receive the knobs 128. Once the PC board 16, wire organizer 32 and cable 30 are properly installed in the plug 10, the upper shell 12 and the latch assembly 18 are combined with the lower shell 14. Upper and lower shells 12,1
4 of the upper shell 12 to attach
24 is inserted with pin 148 positioned below traverse bar 166. Next, the upper shell 12 includes a tab 142
Is received in the recess 164 and is rotated downward until the lower edges of the side walls 122 are tightly fitted with the skirt portions 172 on the upper edges of the side walls 160. Once the tab 142 is received in the recess 164, the side flange 134 is
2 is firmly held against both side walls 122, so that the knob 1
28 is fixedly held in the hole 140. The shield of the cable slides on the upper and lower cylindrical portions 38 and 39, and the ferrule 40 slides on the shield and is crimped by friction. Next, the strain relief 20 is pulled up on the ferrule 40.

The latch assembly 18 locks the plug 10 securely within the receptacle shield 50, while
Front plate 136 provides a ground connection along the width of front plate 136 between upper walls 120,52. The width of the latch assembly 18 may be varied to provide sufficient grounding characteristics for the EMI shield and to provide a desired upward biasing force on the upper wall 52 of the receptacle shield 50. As an example, the front plate 136 may have the same width as the leading edge of the PC equivalent board 16.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a PC equivalent board 16 according to at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The PC board 16 has circuit components that apply signal conditioning to the high-speed serial data received from the cable 30. PC board 1
6 is a front surface 182, a rear end 186, a top surface 188, and a bottom surface 19
0 and opposing side edges 191. The front surface 182 has a chamfered edge 184 that facilitates insertion of the PC board 16 into the opening 74 of the housing 60. Top surface 188 has a number of contact pads 180, 181 and ground pads 204 aligned adjacent to each other and located near front surface 182. Contact pads 180, 181 and ground pad 204
Engage electrically and frictionally with the spoon-like contact area 70 on the contact finger 64.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS.
Contact pads 180 on 88 correspond to a differential pair that transmits or receives the insulated conductor. The contact pads 180 of the differential pair are connected to the solder pads 194 of the differential pair via a linear electrical pattern 192. The solder pads 194 of the differential pair are connected to the corresponding differential pairs 36 of the cable 30 via solder connections. The contact pad 181 of the second differential pair is connected to a linear pattern 198 (see FIG. 9) on the bottom surface 190 of the PC board 16 through a via hole 196. The linear pattern 198 widens at the rear end to form the equivalent component receiving area 200 (see FIG. 9). Further, the bottom surface 190 of the PC board 16 has a differential pair solder pad 202 which is electrically connected to the differential pair 37 of the cable 30. Solder pad 202 and component receiving area 200 are separated by a non-conductive gap 212.

The solder pad 202 and the component receiving area 200
Are separated from each other and have a gap 2 between them.
The shape is configured to receive the electric equivalent component 210 that straddles 12. The equalizing component 210 can be modified to give the PC board 16 different desired electrical characteristics. For example, the component 21
0 has one resistor and one capacitor, the values of which are based on various signal characteristics of the cable 30. As an example, a cable 30 having an impedance of 100Ω works with the first PC board 16 having one combination of component 210 values, while a cable 30 having an impedance of 150Ω has a different PC having another combination of component 210 values.
It works with the substrate 16.

The PC board 16 is moved from the rear end 186 to the front surface 18.
2 and has an internal ground plane which is entirely enclosed within the PC board 16. The edge of this ground plane is designated by reference numeral 220. The ground pad 204 is provided on the upper surface 188 near the front surface 182. The ground pad 204 is
It is embedded in the C board 16 and is connected to a ground plane extending along the length of the PC board 16. The ground pad 204 is connected to a ground plane through a ground via hole 206. The ground solder pad 208 is connected to the PC board 16.
Are provided on the upper surface 188 and the bottom surface 190. The ground solder pad 208 is connected to the ground plane through the ground via hole 206. Ground plane 220 enables interconnection of ground pad 204 and ground solder pad 208. Interconnect 196 is not electrically connected to ground plane 220.

Contact pads 180, 181 and top surface 188
The shape of the ground pad 204 along may be changed so as not to provide unwanted reflections, signal interference or crosstalk. According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, contact pads 180, 18
The first and ground pads 204 are arranged so as to have the ground pads 204 near the opposing side surfaces 191, but the contact pads 181 and the contact pads 180 are separated by the third ground pad 204. Therefore, the arrangement of the contact pads and the ground pads is one ground pad, two contact pads, one ground pad, two contact pads, and one ground pad. The adjacent contact pads of the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 have adjacent contact pads that minimize crosstalk associated with differential pair signals.

The PC board 16 includes key projections 214 through 2
17 and keys 170 and both side walls 160 of the lower shell 14
And notches 218 and 219 having a shape fitted between them. Key projections 214 to 217, notches 218, 21
9 and the key 170 cooperate to ensure that the PC board 16 is positioned with the top surface 188 facing upwards and positioned in the desired vertical and vertical position within the plug 10. Key 17
0 is received in the notches 218 and 219, but the key projection 2
14, 215 are placed on a shelf 168 (see FIG. 4),
The protrusions 216 and 217 are placed on the shelf 169.

FIGS. 13 to 16 are a plan view, a side view, a bottom wall view, and a front view of the receptacle shield 50, respectively. FIG. 13 shows the top wall 52 with a ground contact 98 that provides a ground connection to the housing. Ground contact 96
Protrudes outward from the side walls 54 to provide a ground contact with the housing. FIG. 13 shows the guide flanges 100 and 102.
Is clearly shown. FIG. 14 shows a plurality of tabs 104 extending down from the bottom wall of the receptacle shield 50 received and soldered to the parent substrate.

FIG. 15 shows the bottom wall 56 with the ground contact 99 and the standoff 101 in more detail. The pins 80 and 82 are formed integrally with the standoff 101.
The pins 80 and 82 are inserted into through holes of the parent board. Optionally, the pins 82 may have a diamond-shaped cross-sectional structure to facilitate mounting on a substrate while maintaining proper alignment. The bottom wall 56 receives a contact area 72 of the contact finger 64 near the rear wall 57. Contact area 72
Are surface mounted to contacts on the motherboard to provide electrical connections between the motherboard and the differential pair of cables 30 via the PC board 16 and contact fingers 64.

FIG. 16 is a front view of the receptacle shield 50 showing the grounding beam 90, the polarity key 84, the opening 74, and the projection 76. At the time of assembly, the housing 60 is inserted into the receptacle shield 50 and mounted on the parent board. The plug 10 is assembled as described above, and is attached to an end of a cable 30 such as a quadruple cable capable of transmitting high-speed serial data. The plug 10 is connected to the receptacle shield 50 by inserting the front surface 182 of the PC board 16 into the opening 74 until the contacts 180, 181 and 204 engage the contact fingers 64. Lock member 139 engages with hole 108 in upper wall 52 of receptacle shield 50 to maintain lock member 139 within receptacle shield 50. The biasing force applied by the latch assembly 18 is
Is maintained in the hole 108. Latch assembly 18 maintains a ground connection between upper wall 120 of plug 10 and upper wall 52 of receptacle shield 50. Contact guide wing 92
Maintains a ground connection between the guide wings 26 of the plug 10 and the side walls 54 of the receptacle shield 50. The ground beam 90 maintains a ground connection between the bottom wall 161 of the plug 10 and the bottom wall 56 of the receptacle shield 50. The contact guide wings 92 can minimize the width of the receptacle. Optionally, the ground beam 90 may be removed and the contact guide wings (such as the guide wings 92) may be removed from the receptacle shield 50.
Receptacle shield 5 to further reduce the height of the
0 may be provided on the bottom wall 56. The contact guide wings 92 provide a lower height than the ground beam 90 requires. Thus, a receptacle shield having a ground beam along each side wall of the receptacle would require a wider receptacle. The contact guide wings 92 reduce the overall width of the receptacle. The receptacle shield 50 substantially avoids the top wall 52 taking any particular structure to provide a ground contact to the plug 10. Instead,
Latch assembly 18 is configured to achieve a dual function of locking the plug and receptacle together, while at the same time providing a ground connection between the upper wall of the plug and the surface of upper wall 52 of receptacle shield 50. . In the manner described above, the latch assembly 18 reduces the complexity of the receptacle shield 50 and the height of the receptacle.

The upper and lower shells 12, 1 of the plug 10
4 is a bottom wall 161, both side walls 160 and 122, and an upper wall 12
The provision of any openings at 0 is substantially avoided. This provides EMI shielding characteristics without requiring an additional shielding structure around the periphery. Because the upper and lower shells 12, 14 are formed of a die-cast molded conductive material, the shells can be made without holes or additional components (eg, shelf 168, key 170, recess 164). And the like).

According to at least another embodiment, the contour of the PC board 16 is shaped to be loosely received within the lower shell 14. Both side surfaces 191 of the PC board 16 can be floated in the lateral direction between both side walls 160 of the lower shell 14. The lateral floating between the sides 191 and 160 allows the surface 182 to be properly guided into the opening 74 of the holder or housing 60.

Although specific elements, embodiments and applications of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and alterations are possible in particular from the above disclosure. Of course it will be understood. Therefore, it is specified by the appended claims, which cover variations incorporating these features within the spirit of the invention.

[0044]

According to the high-speed serial data connector of the present invention, the number of components required for completing the connector is reduced.
This reduces the manufacturing cost of the connector and reduces the physical dimensions of the connector. This effect is achieved without sacrificing electrical characteristics, latch performance, and connection strength.

The latch assembly has a spring-biased facing plate that lockably engages one side wall of the receptacle when the plug is inserted into the receptacle. The latch assembly
It is conductive and maintains a ground connection between the plug and the wall of the receptacle to which the latch is secured. The ground contact maintains a ground connection between the remaining wall of the receptacle and the wall of the plug, so that the latch assembly and the ground contact form a ground plane surrounding the periphery of the plug.

The connector also has upper and lower shells sealably coupled to each other along the side walls, the rear end and the front mating edge to form an EMI shielded chamber therein. The PC equalization board with the signal conditioning circuit is enclosed inside the upper and lower shells. This PC equivalent board
It has a side edge having the same profile as the inner profile of the side wall. PC
The equalization board is in direct contact with and supported by the inner surfaces of the upper and lower shell sidewalls to maintain the PC board in the desired horizontal and vertical orientation and relationship to the plug. The mating edges on both sides, the front surface and the rear end of the lower shell have a skirt portion. The corresponding edges of the side walls, front and rear ends of the upper shell have recesses shaped to mate with the skirt of the lower shell to provide an EMI shielded connection with the lower shell.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an insulating housing and contact fingers formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing upper and lower shells contained within a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a latch assembly attached to upper and lower shells formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a portion of a quadruple cable and a wire organizer received in a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a ferrule and strain relief attached to a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a PC formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
It is the perspective view which looked at the equalization board | substrate from the upper side.

FIG. 9 shows a PC formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
It is the perspective view which looked at the equalization board | substrate from the lower side.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a plug formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a bottom wall view of a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a receptacle formed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a receptacle formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front view of a plug formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Plug member 12 Upper shell 14 Lower shell 16 PC board 18 Latch assembly 38, 39 Cylindrical part 40 Ferrule 50 Receptacle assembly 52, 54, 56 Wall 62 Opening 84 Polarity key 90 Ground contact 108 Hole 120 Top wall 122 Side 124 Front surface 126 Rear end 128 Knob 132 Main body 134 Side flange 136 Spring bias facing plate 138 Front end 139 Lock projection 140 Hole 148 Pin 150 U-shaped recess 152 Lower lip 160 Side 161 Bottom wall 162 Front 163 Rear end 166 Cross bar 168 Projection 170 Projection 172 Skirt 174 Notch 191 Side edge

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Michael Anthony Yeoman's United States 17011 Pennsylvania Camp Hill Countryside Lane 3504 F-term (reference) 5E021 FA09 FB01 FC21 LA09 LA15

Claims (19)

[Claims] The receptacle includes a conductive receptacle assembly having a plurality of walls defining a connector opening, and a conductive plug member for connecting to the receptacle assembly through the connector opening. An electrical connector wherein at least one of the walls of the assembly has a ground contact and the plug member has a peripheral surface for electrically engaging the ground contact, wherein the plug member has a latch assembly mounted thereon. The latch assembly includes a spring-biased facing plate that lockably engages one of the walls of the receptacle assembly, the latch assembly being conductive, the plug member; Maintaining a ground connection between the one wall of the receptacle assembly and the ground contact, wherein the ground contact comprises a plug member and a remaining portion of the receptacle assembly. An electrical connector for maintaining a ground connection between said electrical connector and said wall. 2. The latch assembly includes a main body extending laterally and integrally formed with a side flange, the main body extending vertically and integrally formed with the facing plate. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is provided. 3. The latch assembly includes a locking projection formed on the facing plate and positioned to align with a hole in the receptacle assembly, the facing plate facing the receptacle assembly. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is biased to maintain a ground connection. 4. The latch assembly comprises a T-shaped body in which a side flange, the facing plate, and a tip are integrally formed, and the side flange and the tip are provided outside the plug member. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising a hole that snaps into a knob projecting therefrom, the hole and the knob securing the latch assembly to the plug member. 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said latch assembly and said ground contact cooperate to provide a ground connection between said plug member and said receptacle assembly.
Electrical connector as described. 6. The receptacle assembly has a plurality of J-shaped ground beams along one wall thereof, the J-shaped ground beams extending forward and upward into the receptacle assembly, and the plug member. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a ground connection is formed with the electrical connector. 7. The latch assembly has a tip having a lower lip received in a U-shaped recess in a front surface of the plug member, the tip comprising an upper shell of the plug member and a lower lip. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is sandwiched between front faces of the lower shell. 8. An electrical connector having a plug assembly matingly connected to a receptacle for transmitting high-speed serial data from a serial cable, wherein the upper shell has an upper wall, both side walls, a rear end, and a front surface. A lower shell having a bottom wall, both side walls, a rear end and a front surface, and the upper and lower shells being sealable to each other along a fitting edge of the both side walls, the rear end and the front surface. Combined,
Forming an EMI shield, wherein a printed circuit board is housed in upper and lower shells, wherein the printed circuit board has side edges having a profile loosely received within an inner profile of the side walls; An electrical connector, wherein a circuit board directly engages the inner surfaces of the side walls of one of the upper and lower shells. 9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the upper and lower shells are formed of a die-cast injection-molded conductive material. 10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein said upper and lower shells are formed of zinc. 11. The front surface of the upper shell has a forward extending pin, the front surface of the lower shell has a transverse bar connecting the side walls, and the pin is 9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein said electrical connector is inserted below and holds said front surfaces of said upper and lower shells in fixed engagement with one another. 12. The rear end of the upper and lower shells
An upper and lower tubular portion each being integral, the upper and lower tubular portions being joined to form a circular opening for receiving a cable, and a ferrule above the upper and lower tubular portions. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the rear ends are fixed to each other by crimping. 13. The invention of claim 8 wherein said inner surface of said lower shell integrally includes a projection that defines a shelf that directly supports said printed circuit board in a desired vertical position and orientation. Electrical connector. 14. An inner surface of said lower shell integrally having a projection defining a key received in a recess on one side of said printed circuit board, said inner surface having a desired horizontal orientation relative to said plug. 9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein said printed circuit board is maintained in alignment with the printed circuit board. 15. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein a strain relief is received on the rear ends of the upper and lower shells to prevent movement between the cable and the plug. 16. A method according to claim 16, wherein a notch is formed in a bottom wall of the lower shell, and the receptacle is provided with a polarity key received in the notch to properly align the plug and the receptacle. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: 17. A skirt portion in which said both side walls, said front surface and said rear end of said lower shell are fitted in recesses along said both side walls, said front surface and said rear end of said upper shell. The electrical connector according to claim 8, comprising: 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the upper and lower shells are provided between the upper and lower shells without any openings.
9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein said connector defines an I-shielded chamber. 19. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein said two side surfaces of said printed circuit board float laterally between said two side walls of said lower shell.